I get to talk about how David Catrow is one of my favorite illustrators so I love to rI have been reading this book as part of my Go Go Go storytime.

I get to talk about how David Catrow is one of my favorite illustrators so I love to read any book that he has illustrated. He is able to capture the emotion of children so beautifully in his artwork it makes it easy to read and change my voice from sadness, to frustration, to anger, and finally to happiness depending on the situation.(Print motivation)

I have been able to talk with the kids about grownups who spell words instead of saying the word. And how kids learn to sound out words so they know what the grownups are saying. I read the title of the book again, then talk about the TR sound and then the CK sound and then how the U has a short vowel sound. We then blend the sounds together faster and faster. (Letter Knowledge) As I read the book and the T. R. U. C. K. is spelled out, I encourage the kids when they say "Truck" afterwards.

There are two adjustments I make when reading this book.

The first is when Tommy looks "in Grandma's smelly trunk". I pinch my nose and exclaim that Grandma must use smelly perfume. I assume that Karen Beaumont is thinking of a mothball smell. Since most 4 year old kids grandmothers aren't much older than I am, they won't have much contact with trunks with mothballs since it was discovered that mothballs are dangerous to children so many years ago.

The second is when Tommy is looking in the tree and the ladder falls away. I add, "Gosh, I hope the cat's ok!" The ladder looks like it is falling on the cat and the words fit right in with the rhyme.

At the end with the last page, I ask the kids what Tommy is making the dog do and wonder if that is why Tommy couldn't find his truck. Would they want to have to do that?...more

A series of cataclysmic events caused by a violent earthquake has caused massive destruction. A quick thinking bus driver drives her bus full of childA series of cataclysmic events caused by a violent earthquake has caused massive destruction. A quick thinking bus driver drives her bus full of children right into a superstore. The destructive weather and seismic events has caused not only a shut down of the internet/cloud but has caused a local facility which has been testing nerve gasses based on blood type to leak the gasses into the atmosphere. The bus driver leaves to go get help with a promise to return. The kids are left to figure out how to survive. They discover the consequences of the nerve gas on each of their blood types, then figure out how to seal off the store to prevent more gas from entering.There are a lot of interesting situations that develop but I can't post them due to spoilers. Highly recommended reading....more

This series, Elemental Mysteries is what the Twilight series should have been. For those of you who prefer your female characters with a spine AND areThis series, Elemental Mysteries is what the Twilight series should have been. For those of you who prefer your female characters with a spine AND are looking for a mystery with a vampire/human conflict, this series is MUCH better. If you have read, The Discovery of Witches and its sequel, I think you will find DoW is written with more depth and is definitely for a college age and above audience. The Elemental Mysteries, although classified as adult fiction, would be interesting to those high school age and up. These are fast reads, I have whipped through the first 3 books and am half way through the 4th book in just 5 days - and no, I am not just reading my days away. ...more

This series, Elemental Mysteries is what the Twilight series should have been. For those of you who prefer your female characters with a spine AND areThis series, Elemental Mysteries is what the Twilight series should have been. For those of you who prefer your female characters with a spine AND are looking for a mystery with a vampire/human conflict, this series is MUCH better. If you have read, The Discovery of Witches and its sequel, I think you will find DoW is written with more depth and is definitely for a college age and above audience. The Elemental Mysteries, although classified as adult fiction, would be interesting to those high school age and up. These are fast reads, I have whipped through the first 3 books and am half way through the 4th book in just 5 days - and no, I am not just reading my days away. ...more

This is an interesting story taking place in 1939. Portia, a 13 year old girl whose mother has disappeared and whose father has left her in the care oThis is an interesting story taking place in 1939. Portia, a 13 year old girl whose mother has disappeared and whose father has left her in the care of her aunt while he goes to find work, suddenly finds herself at a home for wayward girls. This home is not what it seems and Portia finds herself looking to escape and search for her father. She ends up working at the Wonder Show - the circus sideshow. The story is well written and the plotline is good. ...more